Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves isn’t the first feature to adapt the beloved tabletop role-playing fantasy game to screen, but it might be the first to emphasize the fun. In an expansive world where anything goes, directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein pack in elaborate set pieces in an epic-sized fantasy adventure, assembling a Rogues’ gallery of stars to deliver a charming and amusing introduction to the lore.
Honor Among Thieves begins with a jailbreak. Edwin the Bard (Chris Pine) delivers an expository plea to a panel, explaining how he and his best friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) entered the life of crime and got caught, separating them from Edwin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman). With the hefty dose of world and character building info comes the humor: Edwin and Holga enact their escape plan before the panel judges can reveal that the pair have been pardoned after all.
But reuniting with Kira doesn’t quite go as planned, sparking a journey that has the duo assembling a team that includes Doric the Tiefling Druid (Sophia Lillis), Simon the Sorcerer (Justice Smith), and Xenk the Paladin (Regé-Jean Page) to thwart rogue Forge (Hugh Grant) and his wizard Sofina (Daisy Head).
Humor remains at the forefront of Daley, Goldstein, and Michael GIllo’s screenplay, from a story by Gillo and Chris McKay. It’s embedded in Edwin, a perpetual and unwavering screwup, heightened by Pine’s quick-witted line delivery and comedic timing. Rodriguez finds humor in her barbarian gruffness, eliciting laughs as she pummels foes with ease. Simon’s lackluster sorcery skills make his attempts to woo the unimpressed Doric comically charming. Yet it’s Page that threatens to upstage them with a straight-faced earnestness. In other words, this is a cast more than game to entertain, though Head stands out as a captivating villainess who refuses to give into the quirks, zingers, and bumbling ineptitude of those around her.
Daley and Goldstein waste no time whisking this crew across various lands and setpieces, ensuring the adventure component delivers. Encounters with the undead, pudgy dragons in underground lairs, former exes, heists, and more keep the energy going at a rapid clip. While it keeps their wild adventure exciting, the humor struggles to match. You’ll likely never be bored, but the prominent comedy starts to lose its magic a bit in the back half. It’s not just the lengthy runtime to blame but the necessity to explain this comprehensive world to audiences. Honor Among Thieves keeps its vow to make this movie accessible for novices and experts alike, including homages and references to the game and even the ’80s cartoon. But maintaining that vow means you start to feel its runtime after a while.
Charm is the keyword in Honor Among Thieves. Despite what the narrative stakes explain, it’s a low risk romp meant to entertain. On that, it delivers, even with occasionally shaky CG creatures and the waning effectiveness of the humor. Standout moments sustain the highs, especially a corpse interrogation scene in a graveyard and a surprise cameo. As imaginative and varied as the setpieces are, the core group of misfits makes this a delightful journey worth taking.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves made its World Premiere at SXSW and releases in theaters on March 31, 2023.
